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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · mine · key · vault · race · saw · scale · swing

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cell — in biology
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. key — for a lock
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com